[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/FdjUbub.png[/img] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/ea02620b-20ea-4b46-a61e-f25628785a88.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/seSpAz9.png[/img] [h1]&[/h1] [color=003366][h1]Thunderbird[/h1][/color] [h3]The Aerial Courtship of Giants[/h3] [/center] [hr] With its Master focusing upon his grander schemes, the Phoenix found itself once again cast back out into the world of Galbar, soaring high within the heavens. It wanted to rest up, especially after the exhausting near-death experience with the Iron God and the long flight back to Muspell, but Sartr still had other plans with him. Its mission was the same - scour the globe and inspect what the other gods were doing. However in this case, it found itself back within a particular location that it knew all too well. Once surrounded by water, Mount Chop had found itself trapped within a massive continent that had formed beneath it. And already, life was flourishing around the base and upon the mountainside itself. It was strange for it to see such a vast population of greenery - one that dwarfed the island that it landed upon during its first flight. Yet this time, the Phoenix wasn’t raining a torrent of fire upon the vulnerable timber below. After all, word had spread that several gods had taken personal offense to the beast’s “careless” destruction. Surely if the flaming pterosaur was to continue its unintentional destruction here, no doubt a personal witch-hunt would be issued in order to capture it. It would be wise not to cause such needless damage at this point. The Phoenix then landed upon the mountain’s cliffside, as it scoured the vast jungles for where it should go next. As it searched, the Phoenix heard the rumbling of distant thunder. This rumbling grew louder, until it sounded as though a thunderstorm was right above the Phoenix, even though the skies were clear. “SCREEE!” came a deafening cry from above the Phoenix. Standing on the ridge of the cliff overlooking the Phoenix was a giant bird with midnight blue feathers, cracking with motes of lightning. Startled by this loud noise, the fire-bird jerked its head upwards to inspect the culprit who had dared to disturb it. It looked up to see the strange bird. While it was significantly smaller than the Phoenix, being roughly 17 meters shorter than it give or take, the amount of power it wielded was rather unique. In fact, upon reanalyzing the intensity of the thunderous call, perhaps it was the Phoenix who had done the disturbing to it after all. It was a call of territorial dominance. Still, the Phoenix was not negatively phased by its impressive display, nor did it feel significantly threatened. If anything, it was rather intrigued by this oddly-colored and supercharged spectacle. There seemed to be some sort of relationship… although Sartr hadn’t alerted him to a creature like it. The Phoenix proceeded to communicate by revealing its mahogany throat and issued a low guttural noise towards it. [color=f7941d][b][i]"Heed, wondrous avian."[/i][/b][/color] the Phoenix called to it telepathically, [color=f7941d][b][i]"I’m not here to cause trouble. I will be out of your territory in a few minutes."[/i][/b][/color] The Thunderbird did not appear to heed the Phoenix’s attempts at diplomacy. “SCREE!” Its voice blew down on the Phoenix as a strong wind, some dirt being stirred up. Then the Thunderbird flapped its wings and a concussive thunderclap issued forth and struck the Phoenix. The fire-bird flinched as the powerful vibrations rattled through its skeleton, nearly causing it to lose balance. It was clear that this bird didn’t seem to understand his telepathic message. It was merely a beast. A beautiful beast, but a beast nonetheless. The Phoenix had to do something to demonstrate both its dominance and how it wasn’t a threat - the latter being perhaps the hardest thing for it to accomplish. It rose its massive scaled wings and flapped back as warm heat radiated towards the Thunderbird’s way. It didn’t want to fight such a beautiful specimen, but if it was forced to, it would have no choice. Seeing its rival was not backing down, the Thunderbird hopped off its perch. “SCREEEE!” it cried as it descended, wings flapping and creating more thunder to rattle the Phoenix. Now being forced into combat, the terror-bird was forced to take to the skies, roaring loudly as a sonic-boom collided upon its massive wings during his rapid ascent. It began to circle around its unfortunate opponent as it issued another deeply pained roar in a last ditch attempt to have the Thunderbird heed. The warning was in vain, though, for the Thunderbird knew nothing but its own strength and superiority. The Thunderbird banked up and circled the Phoenix also, peals of thunder echoing across the Hooflands. The Thunderbird ascended, making use of its lighter weight to out-manoeuvre the colossal fire-bird, then dived towards the Phoenix’s back, talons outstretched and sparking with electricity. Even the armored back couldn’t spare the terror-bird from the terrible volley of shock that surged through its body as the Thunderbird made contact. It issued a painful screech before it mustered the power to break off from such vile torture. It descended rapidly before pulling up and utilizing the wind-currents to hasten its speed. With a regrettable scowl, it then proceeded to fire its signature heat ray multiple times towards the feathered Thunderbird, guessing its opponent’s trajectory in an attempt to produce the most accurate shots it could. The Thunderbird was not an easy target, as it flew above the Phoenix where the Phoenix had to twist to fire its beams. But as the Thunderbird dived to attempt a second attack, one of the Phoenix’s beams struck true, burning a patch on the bird’s right breast. Feathers were incinerated in a pyrotechnic display of blinding light. While the Phoenix could not see anything for the next few moments, it heard a pained “CAW” and thunderous wingbeats before the Thunderbird collided with the Phoenix. A jolt of electricity was sent through the Phoenix, but rather than latch on with its talons the Thunderbird continued to fall, tumbling and flapping. It managed to right itself before landing heavily. The Phoenix, meanwhile, continued to reel back at the intense shock that it had received as it plummeted back to the ground. It had to admit, for a mere creature of its size, it surely knew how to use it. However, how could it compare to a fully realized and thinking avatar created from the embers of the divine? The fire-bird quickly regained altitude just before scraping the canopy of the treeline, as more of its fiery essence dripped upon them. It proceeded to go into overdrive, as it issued a quick roll in mid-air before hastening its speed. It rushed towards the Thunderbird, heading in a straight line as it extended its massive talons towards its opponent’s back. Though wounded, by the time the Phoenix had managed to reorient itself the Thunderbird had also recovered enough to look up and see the Phoenix diving towards it. The Thunderbird took flight parallel to the ground with a few hasty wingbeats, feeling a rush of hot air as it managed to just barely avoid being crushed by the Phoenix. The Thunderbird continued to fly, turning its head to look at the Phoenix. Despite missing its target, the terror-bird didn’t proceed to go after the Thunderbird as it stood motionlessly on the ground, looking towards the Thunderbird with admiration. It issued another booming call, flapping its wings in display format as more heated wind flew through the forest. The leaves underfoot began to dry rapidly, causing the dry air and friction to suddenly start a forest fire within the lush greenery. Still, the Phoenix refused to move as it then proceeded to bob its body up and down, as if taunting the Thunderbird. It’s throat began to glow a hot ruby-red, issuing a chuffing similar to that of laughter. If it wasn’t able to get to it’s opponent, then it might as well try to lure it towards its fiery body instead. The Thunderbird saw the Phoenix’s display, which stirred some curious feelings within the Thunderbird. It continued to fly until it landed upon a large rocky outcrop with two strangely flat faces near the base of Mount Chop. On its perch it faced the Phoenix, able to see it clearly. The large burn on the Thunderbird’s chest was also clearly visible, red, oozing and painful. The Thunderbird bowed its head down to preen the feathers around the wound. Noticing the creature’s injury, the Phoenix halted its child-like mockery as it watched the Thunderbird attend to its charred wound. Even for an avatar created for the sole purpose of razing and destroying all who opposed it or Master Sartr, it had already grown sympathetic with the poor beast. If it had really gone all out, it would’ve most likely overpowered and killed the Thunderbird right on the spot. The terror-bird knew that feeling all too well. And to kill such a magnificent looking creature - one perhaps related to it in some way - would be a cruel act not even it could stomach. It felt connected to it, distantly perhaps but it was there. Gurgling a voice of reasoning, the Phoenix once again took to the skies and landed a good distance away from the Thunderbird’s position. It hunched over its body, making it look smaller and more timid, as it slowly and cautiously attempted to make its way towards the beast while issuing soft cooing to calm the creature’s previously high aggression and apologize for his mannerisms. The Thunderbird paused from its preening to look up at the Phoenix. The lightning on its feathers danced in a more gentle pattern as it watched the Phoenix and listened to its cooing. Yet as the Thunderbird shifted, it flinched in pain, its right wing drawing up over its injury. The Thunderbird looked up at the Phoenix once more. “Cooo,” came the Thunderbird’s response, riding on a refreshing breeze. That coo carried pain, submission, yet also something else. With a peal of thunder the Thunderbird took to the skies once more, flying away from the Phoenix. The scaly beast could only watch as the feathery avian took off, leaving only a trail of lightning and several dark blue feathers behind. The fire bird glanced down to see one such feathers lying on the ground, but suffering from a half-burnt tip. It nestled it with it’s large beak, fiddling with it briefly before looking back on the horizon. Would the bird come back? Surely its calm response meant that it finally tolerated the Phoenix, or at the very least respected it. Did it concede and move on, leaving its territory in the hands of the fire-bird? The Phoenix wasn’t quite sure. It then hunched down on the cliffside and covered itself with its scaly wings. Perhaps it might as well rest for a bit before it ought to move on. After all, the Thunderbird’s lightning was able to sap a significant chunk of its energy. And hopefully… just hopefully, it’ll see the creature again some time in the future. But for now, it simply closed its eyes and left its mind to wander across the dreamy plains that K’nell created for it… perhaps a happy one at that. [hr] The Phoenix did not know how long it slept, but it woke to the sound of thunder. It opened its eyes to see that it was almost sunset. A dark shadow passed over the sky above the Phoenix and a large dark-blue bird - the Thunderbird - landed downhill from the Phoenix. Between sparks of electricity the Phoenix saw that the bird’s plumage had been recently washed and preened. The wound on its chest, while still present and unhealed, had at least been cleansed of charred feathers. Dangling from the Thunderbird’s beak was the limp body of some raptor. The Thunderbird bent down low, its back and tail exposed. It stretched out its wings and flapped them, not towards the Phoenix but up and down, producing a low rumble of thunder. Sparks of lightning danced across the Thunderbird’s feathers and along its upturned tail. The Thunderbird slowly, very slowly, approached the Phoenix, continuing its display. “Coo cooo,” it cooed, muffled though its voice was by the body in its mouth. Its return was rather unexpected, but warmly welcomed. The Phoenix watched as the Thunderbird proceeded to show off its majestic wings, flapping them up and down repeatedly, with the low-resonating thunder that issued an oddly comforting sentiment. The low-pitched rapid clattering and warbling of the Phoenix’s beak acknowledged its efforts as it slowly rose to its feet, still hunched over. Then it too began its friendly chirps as it extended its massive wings and repeated the other bird’s mannerisms, blowing a warm breeze towards it. This heat wasn’t the destructive force that it would use casually or in battle however. In fact, as it blew over the Thunderbird, it noticed how it eased the pain from the wound. Further still, portions of the damaged tissue slowly began to heal, perhaps enough so that new feathers would once again grow given time. The Thunderbird continued its advance, less timidly now. As it came close to the Phoenix, it placed the raptor body onto the ground in front of the Phoenix and backed away. Sniffing the carcass, the larger creature gently used its super-heated breath to slowly cook the raw carcass into something cooked. After a few seconds, the raptor’s feathers had been burnt off completely and its skin turned into an appetizing golden-brown. With its meal cooked, the Phoenix ripped the raptor into two - taking the legs and tail as it gobbled it down in one swift gulp. It was exceptionally tasty, filled with a crunchy exterior and being soft and tender on the inside. It proceeded to nudge the cooked saurian towards the Thunderbird, cocking its head for it to try it now. The Thunderbird approached again. It looked up to the Phoenix before placing a talon on the remaining half of the raptor and dipping down its beak to tear the meal apart and eat it. It appeared to enjoy the meal as it gobbled down the cooked flesh. When finished, the Thunderbird wiped its beak on the ground to remove the grease and blood then looked up to the Phoenix with a soft “Coo.” It appeared the blue avian had enjoyed the Phoenix’s little delicacy. This satisfied the fire-bird as it cackled softly at its positive response. It found that cooking the meat instead of eating it raw provided a richer taste and enhanced its flavor significantly. However, it had to cook it at just the right time - not too soon and not too late - otherwise it would find itself with lukewarm meat or a charred piece of coal. Then the Phoenix proceeded to slowly advance towards the Thunderbird, waddling awkwardly with its massive wings folded on the ground. It blinked curiously towards its newfound friend and gingerly proceeded to nuzzle the blue bird in an act of kindness, as a deep groan escaped its nostrils and resonated through its warm beak. The Phoenix felt small jolts of electricity as it touched the Thunderbird, but those were nothing compared to the electric shocks it had suffered in their fight. The Thunderbird nuzzled the Phoenix in return, rubbing against the Phoenix’s warm body. They enjoyed each other’s presence for a short time, then the Thunderbird suggested, “Cooo.” The larger avian looked down upon the other, cocking its head while asking with a light chirp. The Thunderbird took a couple of steps away from the Phoenix and turned its back towards the Phoenix. It was now that the Phoenix could tell that the Thunderbird was indeed a [i]she[/i]. At first, the Phoenix didn’t seem to realize what she was trying to do. But then it hit it… or rather, it hit [i]him[/i]. A primal instinct rushed through his scaly body, producing a warmth unlike any he felt before - yet one that was familiar all the same. He didn’t need to be told what to do at that point… For the Phoenix already knew what had to be done... [hr] A circle of bent trees and branches padded with vines and grasses had been carefully laid out on the flattened peak of Mount Chop. Within this giant nest were several large eggs, mottled ruby and sapphire in colour, sparkling even where the sunlight did not strike them. Among the eggs was an ornate wooden box. The Thunderbird was also in the nest, crooning by the eggs. Her eggs. She heard the sound of slow wing-beats and looked up to see the Phoenix approaching. The fire-bird carried a freshly killed and cooked long-necked sauropod in his jagged maw. While he didn’t have to travel far in order to find food, he felt like he had to offer only the best towards his new-found mate. And this was the perfect gift for her. He dropped the cooked corpse down in his mate’s line of sight as he gently landed on the ground, coaxing the Thunderbird to eat. The Thunderbird walked over the edge of the nest and towards the meal. She cooed towards the Phoenix before ravenously feasting upon the sauropod, having clearly developed a heavy appetite. The Thunderbird ate her fill, then nudged the remainder of the meal towards the Phoenix. The fire-bird accepted the leftovers and proceeded to finish the rest of the meal. Once he did, he found himself resting near the nest while watching the horizon for any invasive threats that dared to enter their territory. But while he did so, he suddenly felt a throbbing headache that forced him to stand up. And then, he was finally reminded of his true place amongst Galbar. [color=f26522][b]”PHOENIX!”[/b][/color] Sartr boomed furiously as his voiced resonated through the Phoenix’s head, [color=f26522][b]”WHERE IN GALBAR’S PITS ARE YOU?! YOU’VE BEEN AWAY FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS!”[/b][/color] The fiery pterosaur was taken aback by his demands, however proceeded to stay still as not to disturb the Thunderbird. [color=f7941d][b][i]"Ah, Master Sartr,"[/i][/b][/color] the Phoenix telepathically responded, [color=f7941d][b][i]"My apologies for being so far away in my departure. I was away scouring the distant twin continents of what the gods called… Tendlepog and Swahhitteh."[/i][/b][/color] [color=f26522][b]”HAVE YOU REALLY?”[/b][/color] the flame god replied inquisitively, [color=f26522][b]”BUT I CAN SENSE THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY NOT ON THEM AT THIS MOMENT. [u]WHERE[/u] ARE YOU REALLY AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”[/b][/color] The Phoenix anxiously glanced over at the nest and the resting Thunderbird. He hesitated to respond at first, but then proceeded to quickly answer as deadpan as he could. [color=f7941d][b][i]"I’ve... since departed as of several hours ago and I’m just about finishing up my quick break. I shall be back in Muspellheim within the hour."[/i][/b][/color] Sartr simply scoffed at his avatar’s reply. [color=f26522][b]”WELL MAKE IT QUICK!”[/b][/color] the fire god said hastily, [color=f26522][b]”MY PLANS ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE! AND I HAVE MORE ASSIGNMENTS THAT REQUIRE YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.”[/b][/color] [color=f7941d][b][i]"As you wish, Master."[/i][/b][/color] the Phoenix obeyed as Sartr’s presence quickly exited his mind. The Phoenix had been having such a great time with his mate, that he almost forgot about Master Sartr entirely. If he was to tell him about his affair with the Thunderbird, let alone a mere bestial creature, surely Sartr would scold him for his disobedience. Truly he didn’t know how he’d react, but he definitely didn’t want to find out on the end of his fiery fist. And he truly didn’t want to leave his mate alone, but alas duty called and he must answer it. The Phoenix walked towards his beloved mate and gently locked heads with her, rubbing his warm beak against hers. In a series of mournful and sorry chirps, he explained the situation towards her as roughly as he could. [color=f7941d][b][i]"My beloved, sweet, Thunderbird."[/i][/b][/color] he said, [color=f7941d][b][i]"I am forced to depart under the orders of a higher power. He does not know about our affair, and I refuse to tell him for the safety of our skin and our young. I will be gone for a while, but I will come back as soon as I can… I promise."[/i][/b][/color] The Thunderbird did not grasp all the concepts which the Phoenix said, but she understood enough. The Thunderbird too knew about the compulsion of a higher power. “Coo-oo,” she cooed mournfully. [center][hider=Flight of the Phoenix] [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmf-NqEZ7tY[/youtube] [/hider][/center] Having said his farewells, the Phoenix departed from Mount Chop to make the long flight back to his Master. Sartr must not know of their affair in any capacity; however if he did find out, the Phoenix would do anything to protect his mate from him or any other threats that dare to harm her... By the tip of his flaming beak and till his very last breath. [hider=It’s like a nature documentary in here] The Phoenix flies to Mount Chop, only for the Thunderbird to challenge this new rival in its territory. The Phoenix isn’t keen on fighting, but the Thunderbird doesn’t recognise diplomacy, so they fight. Despite the Phoenix being considerably larger than the Thunderbird, the Thunderbird is able to put up a good fight until the Phoenix manages to hit it with a heat ray, wounding the Thunderbird and sapping its will to fight. The Phoenix notes that the Thunderbird has ceased hostilities and attempts to be more friendly. The Thunderbird flies off (to tend its wound), and the Phoenix takes a nap. When the Thunderbird returns, it is more submissive and comes bearing a gift of food. The Phoenix’s victory has impressed the Thunderbird. After a courtship display of dancing, sparks, feeding and preening, it is revealed that the Thunderbird is a female and the Phoenix is a male. A pair-bond is formed and they mate. The result is eggs. These will eventually hatch into an extraordinary species of bird (-2 FP), but for now they sit in the Thunderbird’s nest on Mount Chop. The Phoenix has been caring for his mate for a few days. However, he is called away by Sartravius, who is not aware of the ‘affair’ the Phoenix had with the Thunderbird. The Phoenix says he will return, vows to protect her, then reluctantly leaves. [/hider] [hider=Might Summary] 2 FP for an extraordinary yet unintelligent species, the cost split between Ashalla’s and Sartravius’ Might pools. Details will come after they hatch. [u]Ashalla[/u] [i]Start:[/i] 1 MP & 6 FP [i]Spent:[/i] 1 FP [i]End:[/i] 1 MP & 5 FP [i]Portfolios:[/i] Colour 4/10 Ice 9/10 [u]Sartravius[/u] [i]Start:[/i] 13 MP & 8 FP [i]Spent:[/i] 1 FP [i]End:[/i] 13 MP & 7 FP [/hider]